Mother and baby ocelot.
The Mexican population of ocelots, wild cats considered in danger of extinction in the state of Chiapas, increased by one this week following a healthy birth at the Miguel Alvarez del Toro Zoo in Tuxtla Gutiérrez.
The operations director of Zoomat, as the zoo is known, said the cat was in healthy condition but it was too early to tell its gender.
Carlos Guichard Romero said the birth was an important event because it confirms the success of the zoo’s efforts to encourage the reproduction of animals in captivity, which are undertaken for the conservation and preservation of endangered species.
Worldwide the ocelot was considered vulnerable to extinction up until 1996, but is now considered “least concern,” which is two levels below vulnerable. However, there are concerns about the population of the cats in Chiapas and Mexico.
The ocelot is also known as the dwarf leopard and is found in South and Central America, Mexico and in the south of Texas. They used to be valued for their fur, for which many were killed.
Some people prize them as pets. The Spanish artist Salvador Dali had one named Babou and it frequently traveled with him, according to Wikipedia.
Mexico’s new ocelot was bred and born in the 100-hectare nature reserve known as El Zapotal, which is home to Zoomat. Only regional fauna are seen there, such as wild boars, quetzal, deer, jaguar, monkeys and many others.
Visitors to the zoo are able to view its newest inhabitant, said Guichard Romero.
No comments:
Post a Comment